Tag Archives: kitchen

If you love Creme Brulee and lavender, here is a recipe that is to “die” for. I know it’s the beginning of the New Year and we’re all thinking about our healthy resolutions, but I have to share this Honey-Lavender Creme Brulee recipe with you before it fades into Christmas past memory. We served it at our annual Boxing Day dinner party to eight other couples and everyone was wowed!

I have never made Creme Brulee before, but it’s definitely been on my culinary bucket list, so this was the year. I borrowed a kitchen torch and 6 ramekins (the oval type) to augment my round 6 oz version and made a few substitutions to simplify the process. It’s easy to get it right the very first time!

This recipe was a winner of the Frei Brothers Winery contest and published in Bon Appetit Magazine, Holiday edition 2014. It came originally from My Backyard, Eugene Oregon.

Note: I substituted lavender honey and our own Tahitian Vanilla lavender sugar to skip steeping and straining the lavender buds. I did heat the cream with an extra vanilla bean which was easy to remove without straining.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 Tbsp. sugar, honey and yolks over low speed until well combined and starting to change color, about 2 min. Slowly stream in milk mixture; mix until just combined (to avoid becoming foamy)

Place ramekins in high-sided baking pan’ divide cream mixture evenly among them. Fill baking pan with water until it goes 3/4 up the side of the ramekins. Bake 50-55 min. until mixture is set, but still wobbly.

Remove ramekins from pan; place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. To serve, remove from refrigerator and keep at room temperature for 20 min. Sprinkle custards with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar evenly until deep brown and crunchy.

“Biochemically, love is just like eating large amounts of chocolate”.~ John Milton

My husband, Chris loves chocolate in all of its forms, so I thought I’d make him a chocolate cake for Valentine’s Day as an expression of my love for him. We have been married since “childhood” and I hope to keep the love by adding some lavender for its mythical effects on nurturing it. Both chocolate and lavender have a long history in aiding affairs of the heart and this recipe is lower in fat than most (at 0.5 grams per serving) so it will be kind to his heart both ways.

A very personal and romantic message written on a blank or homemade Valentine card is also part of my plan. This year, I think, something from the heart will be so much better than a box of chocolates with mysterious centers, purchased at the last minute. I’m aiming for an original card and our Lavender Lover’s Chocolate cake to make this Valentine’s Day memorable.

I’ve used LavenderGreen’s prepared Lavender and Tahitian Vanilla sugar in this recipe, but you can make your own by adding a teaspoon to a tablespoon of crushed lavender petals and a vanilla bean to a cup or two of sugar and storing it in a cool dry place for ten days. You can order it on our site. Or, if you are running late, you can use plain sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla and a teaspoon or two of crushed lavender florets.

If you are using lavender buds you have on hand, make sure they are of the English, Angustifolia variety such as Hidcote or Munstead which are best for cooking. Craft quality lavender is better suited for sachets and soaps because it has a clean, sharp fragrance that would spoil the scent and taste of the cake.

You might want to try this cake (even if you’re not trying to woo your husband or lover this Valentine’s Day) and be sweet to yourself and your friends and family. It takes about an hour from start to finish, including baking.

Notes for the chef: Your batter may look a little thin, but this recipe produces a very moist chocolate cake. You may lift cake on to a platter with raspberry sauce as shown in the picture and top with fresh raspberries, or ice the cake with your favorite icing. For Lavender Lovers, we also like to dust it with powdered sugar or whipped cream with lavender flowers strewn on top.

Credits, this recipe has been modified from a Hershey’s original and adapted by Lavender Lynn and LavenderGreen.

If you don’t have a heart shaped baking pan, make the sheet cake format and cut individual servings with a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Calories: 185 per serving for the cake

In the mood for a lighter dose of Chocolate and Lavender?

Enjoy our favorite Lavender hot chocolate recipe.

Lavender Hot Chocolate

About This Recipe

This is a wonderful recipe posted on Food.com by “ratherbeswimin” in 2008 and made at the farm many times. We substitute 3 tablespoons of our own Tahitian Lavender sugar and omit the pulverized dried lavender and vanilla extract from this recipe, but it’s great either way. Calories are 196 per cup. We also top off the pretty cup with a little whipped cream sprinkled with lavender florets when we’re in the mood and don’t mind the extra calories. To cut calories in half, make this cup half coffee and half hot chocolate which I do when I need a quick, feel good pick-me-up in the afternoon.

1. Add milk to a medium saucepan; add in the lavender; set over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and steep for 5-8 minutes, or longer for a stronger lavender flavor.
3. Return saucepan to heat; whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
4. Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt; remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Divide among 4 Irish coffee glasses or mugs, straining out the lavender if desired.

Directions
heat the oil on medium high. add onion and celery and cook for 5 mins.
add herbs and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
add butter and stock and bring to a simmer.
combine with cubed stuffing bread and grated apple.
add mixture to backing dish.
back on center rack of oven or 30 mins or until stuffing is browned and cooked through.

Everyone has a turkey story and I’ll share one that makes me blush! A long, long time ago I invited my in-laws to Thanksgiving dinner. I had a very busy schedule at Fisher-Price Toys in East Aurora, NY and the holidays were hectic as you can imagine. Fisher-Price had a wonderful tradition of giving employees a turkey for the holidays. I froze this huge turkey for our big Thanksgiving feast. With all of the preparations, though, I neglected to take the turkey out of the freezer to defrost in time. So, Thanksgiving morning, with local grocery stores closed, I had to deal with this partially frozen turkey. Necessity being the mother of invention, I decided to pop it in the microwave on “cook” and then brown it in the regular oven.

Don’t try this at home! My turkey looked beautiful and smelled OK, but when we carved it, it was shoe leather on the inside and very rare just under the nicely browned skin. We had to toss the turkey and go out for dinner. Of course, this sad affair has lived on in the story telling tradition of my husband’s family and it was a bit hard to live it down. Fortunately, twenty years have passed along with at least 20 turkey dinners and I can now claim to make a perfect turkey at Thanksgiving.

There are many ways to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey, from brining to deep frying, and perhaps you have tried them all. Our favorite at the farm is a slow roasted turkey seasoned with Herbs de Provence for a classic that is easy to prepare and a favorite for everyone’s palate. We use our own organic blend of Herbs de Provence with Marjoram, Oregano, Lavender and Thyme. The ingredient of lavender cannot be found in many Herbs de Provence blends on the market but it is wonderful, giving a slight floral twist to the fragrance and taste. Herbs de Provence is a lovely seasoning for game fowl, like pheasant, too.

One of our favorite recipes is Williams-Sonoma’s take on this classic, presented below and tested in our kitchen for a decade, at least. You won’t be disappointed and remember, a Turkey and a Microwave oven are not the best companions.

Directions:

Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Do not leave the turkey at room temperature longer than 1 hour.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F.

Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and reserve for making gravy, if desired. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the onion, celery, parsley and 1 Tbs. of the herbes de Provence in the body cavity, and season with salt and pepper. If desired, truss the turkey with kitchen twine. Brush the turkey with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with the remaining herbes de Provence and season with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey, breast side down, on a buttered roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, basting with some of the remaining butter after 15 minutes. Using 2 pairs of tongs or heat-resistant kitchen gloves or mitts, turn the turkey breast side up and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting with the remaining butter and pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F, and into the thigh, 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 3/4 hours.

Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 20 minutes before carving. Serves 12.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Note:Herbs de Provence and Herbes de Provence both correct spellings . They can also include other herbs, like tarragon or fennel, so be sure to read the label to ensure that you are going to love the blend. Ours is perfect for lavender lovers.

Let’s start with the kitchen, the heart of the home. The most important step is to start with a clean room. Lavender is a natural cleaner, so we’re in luck! Kitchen smells and bacteria are prevalent on the counters, the stove top and oven and the refrigerator. So we’ll begin there.

We use the surface cleaner spray for the floor for quick clean ups. Just spritz the floor and spritz a large micro-fiber mop (washable) and it’s a snap! For deep cleaning, add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your favorite floor soap and go for it. Lavender Essential Oil is healthy and has been used to clean since the days of the Roman civilization. Lavender is gentle on all finishes, and offers calming aromatherapy to the cleaner, so why bother with products that add to the in-door pollution of your home?

For the refrigerator, clean all shelves, baskets and exterior surface with warm water, white vinegar or baking soda and a few drops of essential lavender oil. You can actually add a few drops of lavender E.O.’s. to any of your favorite soaps to improve fragrance.

Remember to vacuum the vent at the bottom of the refrigerator where dirt and grease collect and the top of the refrigerator, which is often neglected. Finish off the fridge with a small bowl or shaker jar of baking soda, mixed with a tablespoon or two of lavender flower buds and a few drops of lavender E.O. to absorb food odors. Use our French lavandin buds in the recipe for a lavender “fresh” scent. Place the bowl at the back of one of the shelves and change it out when it loses it’s fragrance or gets damp. Baking soda is your friend in the kitchen for almost any stain or smell. Sprinkle smelly garbage with this mix of lavender buds and baking soda, or make a “soft scrub” with baking soda, lavender essential oil and a little water to clean stained surfaces.

Kitchen textiles, like curtains, placemats, dish towels can all be washed in lavender laundry detergent followed by lavender fragrance to condition. We wash our dish towels at the end of each day routinely for safety’s sake. Just before the crowd collects in your kitchen, spritz the curtains and towels with The Good Home’s non-staining, Lavender Sheet and Clothing Spray for instant fragrance.

We’re almost there! To finish it all off, add a lavender candle (to burn, not dust) The candle will burn out bacteria and not overpower the good cooking fragrance. Use a real E. O. candle made from soy wax and a natural cotton wick to keep it all non-toxic. A great combination for the kitchen is lavender with citrus. We offer a lavender-citrus potpourri and candle and are planning to add a non-toxic lavender-citrus room mist soon. The potpourri is a continual fragrance source and the candle can be lit when the stove is in action.

We’d love to get tips from you, too! Please comment and share your own tips and techniques for a sweet smelling home.